The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1887-07-15

Very well then don't make fun of nv
diploma until you are able to wheel
on horses rib
One day greenhorn came along and
got a job IN our gang he was awkward
as a landlubber trying to climb the top
gallantmast. He would look at his feet
as he went up the plank, and the wheel
OF the barrow would run off he would
look at the wheel, and his feet would
step of !; he asked advice, but we who
had learned the trade had now become
monopolists, and refused to give any
instruction |; all except Jenny Hill ;
ne took the fellow in hand, and showed
him how to walk the plank, which he
obviously had no right whatever to do.
That night, up at the shanty where we
lived, my tongue staggered good deal,
to the admiration of everybody except
Jenny Hill. l gushed eloquently
about the wrong done us in employing
greenhorn wheelers and "plug" shovel
ers, and we proposed to form ourselves
into a brotherhood" to protect our
selves against monopoly, and especially
making it capital offence for one of the
brotherhood" to teach afellow-creature
how to wheel barrow full of dirt up a
plank.
The next day was Sunday, and Jenny
and | took walk to favorite spot
where we used to smoke our pipes and
gossip. The glorious st. Lawrence roll
ed at our feet, and the sun shone bright
overhead. Jenny was young fellow
from the Moth of Ireland, about five
feet nine or ten, slim, all sinew and
bone, blue eyes, light hair, and fair,
smooth face, beautiful as girls. He
had soft, musical voice, and there was
nothing manly about him, except that
he liked to smoke ; but he was brave as
Phil. Sheridan he was holy terror in
fight I saw him scatter a dozen
fellows once in riot, like Samson used
to clear out those Philistines. He is
president of railroad now, and rides in
his own special Car, in which there is
always welcome berth for me.
We talked about the necessity of pro-
tecting our craft from "plug" workmen,
or, rather, I did I; Jenny merely
smoked his pipe and listened. At last
he pulled out of his pocket a watch.
charm, and handed it to me to examine
The crest on it was couple of torches
one lighting the other, with this motto
underneath my light is none the
less for lighting my neighbor." He ex-
planned that this was the motto of some
secret society that he belonged to in
Belfast I forget the name of it now
but no matter, that was the motto of it.
I" My light is none the less for lighting
my neighbor." I accepted the rebuke
and ackno wledged that the motto was a
good one. That was many years ago
but the longer live the more I am con
vinced that it is sound in political
science and social economy. 1t is the
very antithesis of the narrow principle
=" Live and not let live.'
[ commend it to workingmen the
world over the practice of it will make
them better, happier and richer than
the other principle, which cannot be
come general without reducing the
world to barbarism. Had this been the
motto of the telegraph brotherhood il
might have saved them the humiliation
of "signing the document" it might
have spared them the necessity of the
strike, and even in their failure it would
have secured to them the sympathy Of
all men whose good opinion was worth
having. How can we sympathize with
men in struggle with monopoly who
themselves seek to become monopolistS
of the knowledge that earns bread, who
in the very charter of their order pledge
themselves to one another never tc
teach their trade, and who seek to con
troll the free action of their brother
craftsmen? Men who would enslave
others easily become slaves, and the
telegraphers who left their keys free
men and proud returned to them in 8
month with their liberty signed away
George Stephenson, the greatest engineer
of modern times, or perhaps of any
time, was refused admission into the
" order" Of engineers because he was 8
"plug" who had never served an ap
premiership. The men who did tha
would have deprived him of his genius
if they could, although that genius has
multiplied the comforts of man hun
dred or a thousand fold.
Men are interested not in the down
fall, but in the upraising of one another
not in the poverty of any, but in the
riches of all not in the ignorance of 8
part, but in the intelligence and wisdom
of the whole. The contrary principle
impairs the symmetry of the mora
universe, whose laws are perfect anC
harmonious as the laws which govern
matter. Every man is interested in the
welfare and prosperity of every othel
man none can suffer loss without al
sharing in it. | cannot show you where
| lost penny by the great Chicago
fire, and yet know that two or three
hundred million dollars worth of prop
erty could not be blotted out of exist
ence without my losing something some
where. [ cannot show you that lost 6
dollar by the Franco-German war, anC
yet L know that two great nations can
not destroy tens of thousands of each
others men, and tens of millions O
each others property without my losing
something. This world of ours is 8
small world, and no part of it is so re
mote from me that people can suffel
loss without my sharing in that loss
and, conversely, mankind cannot grow
richer and leave me poorer, nor WISE
and leave me ignorant, nor better anC
| &c.